The Hand of Wrath
by Cheile
Summary: When Marilyn Stark died, no one gave a thought to those she left behind. But her grieving lover has not forgotten, and intends to make Nathan Bridger pay tenfold.
1. Prologue

**Author's notes: Wow, never thought I'd be writing for this fandom. But when the kittens bite, one must follow through if possible! This is AU; as in, I am keeping the first season crew. Many thanks to my Questie girls Darkin and Giry from the RLT forum for answering all my little questions. Also to Cam and Darkin for beta services rendered, and especially Cam for being my sounding board!**

**Rating: T, but be warned that there is some physical violence (not graphic) in later chapters.**

**Legal B.S.: seaQuest DSV and all its canon factors are copyrighted to Rockne O'Bannon and NBC. I'm just a longtime devoted fan. (And I mean that literally...oh, the fond memories of teenage me fighting my mom for the remote on Sunday nights, LOL)**

* * *

**The Hand of Wrath**  
**by Cheile**

**Prologue**

_2019  
Reseda, California_

_"...if you're just joining us, we're live at the UEO Summit at Pearl Harbor, where Dr. Kristin Westphalen of the seaQuest has just accepted her award for developing a new cardiac medication from lionfish venom. We will also be live tonight at the summit banquet. It's black tie and rumor has it that famous designer Sakuya Firenze's creations will be worn, so all you fashion aficionados will have plenty to talk about on the Internex tomorrow morning..."_

Cold blue eyes glared at the television as the image switched from the perky male reporter and cut to the stage. Secretary General William Noyce was giving a hand to the person descending the stage steps, a trim, auburn-haired woman clad in a simple, but flattering black dress. She smiled at him in thanks and stepped down, returning to her seat next to a slender man with gray hair. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders for a quick hug, causing a slight blush to rise in her cheeks.

The image returned to the reporter, who began to talk about the other award winners and their accolades. Picking up the remote, Len stabbed the mute button.

"'Research'...I'm sure the pretty little doctor has been doing more than one kind of 'research'...and not just with the fish..."

The rant trailed off into silence, attention turning instead to a digital photo frame on the end table next to the remote. The current image showed a forty-something blond woman. She was wearing a Navy dress uniform and was standing at attention underneath a dogwood tree in full bloom. Her severe pose was softened by the bright smile on her face.

"That should have been you up there, baby," Len sighed, caressing the screen. A glance back at the television showed that the ceremony had ended and people were leaving, including the _seaQuest_ crew.

Len's eyes narrowed again. "But don't worry. The UEO may have let them get away with murder, but I won't..."


	2. 1 - Lovers' Game

**Chapter 1 ~ Lovers' Game**

**_Pearl Harbor, Hawaii  
Later that same evening_**

"I hate heels."

"Now, Katie. Just pretend you're in your uniform boots."

"Easy for you to say." Katherine Hitchcock glared down at her feet, then turned a look of exasperation towards her companion. "You walk in them like you were born to. I look like I did when I was four and playing dress-up in my mom's closet."

"Nonsense. You look lovely." Kristin Westphalen offered the younger woman an encouraging smile. "Lieutenant Krieg is going to have quite the time keeping the other young men from stealing you away."

"Knowing Ben, he'll be too busy ogling all the other women there," Katie snorted, taking one final glance at the mirror in the guest quarters that she and Kristin had been given for the weekend. She wasn't used to getting this dressed up, but had to admit to herself that she looked good in her borrowed dress. It was Kelly green and one-shouldered, with a skirt that fell to the floor in soft pleats. Turning back to Kristin, she added, "Including you if he can get away with it."

"Now why would he be looking at an old woman like me for?" Kristin retorted cheerfully. "Besides, I already have a date."

"Uh-huh." The chief engineer had to bite back a knowing smirk. It was no secret to most of the _seaQuest's_ crew that captain and chief medical officer were practically an item. In Katie's private opinion, it was past time that they admitted it openly.

Looking at Kristin, she wondered if tonight might be the night. She had changed from the simple black dress she'd worn to the award ceremony into her borrowed gown-a shimmering, strapless creation in midnight blue. It had a beaded bodice and the tiny crystals sparkled under the overhead lights. Her shoulder-length hair was caught up in a claw comb studded with the same little crystals. Silver heels, barely visible when she moved, completed the look.

"Uh-huh what?"

"Nothing," Katie said innocently. "We'd better get going. I'm sure the others were all ready an hour ago and are pacing the lobby waiting for us."

* * *

Down in the barracks' lobby, Nathan Bridger sighed and tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh. He had opted not to change out of his dress blues for the summit banquet, unlike the others. He knew he had to be patient and wait for everyone else to be ready so they could all leave as a group, but the waiting was getting to him. And so were the many stares and hurried salutes from starry-eyed cadets and young officers that kept passing through in the last forty-five minutes. "How much longer are they going to be?" he wondered aloud in mild exasperation.

A snicker from his right stilled his tapping fingers. "Something you find amusing, Lucas?"

Lucas Wolenczak grinned and raked his fingers through his already messy golden hair. "Captain, they're girls. Girls _always_ take forever. It's, like, an unwritten law of the universe."

"Katie's not the type to spend hours primping," Ben Krieg remarked from his seat to Lucas' right. "So, given the other factors, I'm betting it's the doc holding us up."

"What makes you assume that?" Nathan asked a little sharply.

"Oh, no insult meant to the doc, sir. But you have to figure with the press ready to descend the moment they set eyes on her, she'll want to...impress." Wilting under his superior officer's staredown, Ben shifted his gaze away and suddenly brightened. "And I think she'll succeed," he added under his breath.

Nathan's intended retort was forgotten as his gaze followed Ben's. Even the passersby stopped and stared. He rose to his feet, unable to take his eyes off Kristin as she and Katie crossed the lobby to meet them.

Lucas and Ben had also risen, but Lucas was the first of the trio to find his voice. "Wow...you guys look great. Are those the Sakuya Firenze dresses?"

"Thank you, Lucas. And they are." Kristin gave the boy a quick hug and attempted to smooth down his hair. But he ducked just out of reach, giving her a mock scowl. Shaking her head, she turned her smile on Nathan. "Nathan."

"Kristin. You...you look phenomenal." He had to smile at the blush that rose in her cheeks and did his level best to ignore the fact that everyone in the lobby was no doubt watching the two of them.

She took his offered hand and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you. You already know I think the same of you. Now, shall we get going?"

"Close your mouth, Ben. You'll catch flies." Katie was giving her fellow officer a look of annoyance at the way he was staring at her.

"Well, it isn't every day I get to see you dressed like this." Ben's eyes slid admiringly up and down the sight before him. "You always did look hot in green."

"Don't be a pig or I'll ask Shan to be my escort for the evening," she warned him as the group headed for the door.

"Oh, so complimenting you is being a pig?"

The two continued to argue all the way out to the front of the building, where they were met by Chief Shan and a security escort, and into the car that would take them to the banquet hall. Kristin leaned over to Nathan, keeping her voice low. "It's a wonder they ever were married."

"You know that old saying, Kristin. Opposites attract," he pointed out quietly, but his amused smile matched hers.

"There's opposites and then there's oil and water." Kristin shook her head.

"Really, Katie...can't you just accept a compliment for what it is? You _do_ look good in green. Especially that particular shade of green. Come to think of it, it's the same shade as that corset top you wore on our honeymoon."

"Don't you dare bring that up again." Katie glared at her ex-husband.

"Shoreleave in Copenhagen, where we went to that nightclub...and you were dancing on the..."

_"Benjamin Arthur Krieg."_

"Arthur? _That's_ your middle name?" Lucas snorted a laugh.

"It happens to be my great-grandfather's name. What of it?"

The new argument lasted all the way up until they arrived at the banquet hall. Nathan was almost grateful for the distraction of the reporters that were waiting for them, nearly all of them wanting a quote from Kristin. Security held them back and reminded them they would get their chance to request interviews and ask questions later. That reminder didn't stop the photographers, whose cameras were going off every second.

Ben put up a hand to shield his eyes and guided Katie into the hall behind Nathan and Kristin. "If these guys stay after sunset, they won't even need outdoor lights."

"This is gonna be one _long_ night," Lucas added.

* * *

A few reporters were waiting just inside the door, but most were willing, if impatiently, to wait the extra hour and a half for the post-dinner press conference. Lucas was not amused by their behavior and covered his ears with a scowl every time they shouted over top of each other, trying to be the one chosen to have their question answered first. When it was Kristin's turn at the podium, the decibel level seemed to double. At that point, Lucas kept his hands over his ears.

Katie poked him gently in the arm. "Keep scowling and your face will freeze like that," she teased in an attempt to lighten his mood.

"I'm inclined to agree with Lucas on this one." Ben winced as the reporters made their protests heard when told that Kristin would only answer two more questions. "I know the doc is the star of the hour, but this borders on the ridiculous."

"They should be gone after this. They'll have gotten all they want. How many times can she repeat herself, after all?"

"Ah, I wouldn't bet on that, Katie. The press are vultures; they don't stop even after there's nothing left to dissect."

With dinner and the press conference over, the floor was cleared for dancing. Lucas' dark mood brightened considerably when the Noyces joined them, for their niece had accompanied them. Shannon Noyce was sixteen, with hair redder than Kristin's and a ready smile. They were soon nearly inseparable, both on and off the dance floor, though she was asked to dance by many of the young male officers and even a few of the women.

But as Ben had put it earlier, Kristin was definitely the star of the hour. Nathan bore all the interruptions in stride, but they eventually began to wear on his nerves. As the night continued on, the crowd thinned out a little and the interruptions became fewer. Nathan danced mostly with Kristin, but also a few times with Katie, Janet Noyce and even once with young Shannon. Kristin ended up dancing with almost everyone who asked her and wasn't able to escape the dance floor for a full hour. When she finally did, she looked downright relieved.

"My feet need a break." Kristin sank into a chair against the wall next to Nathan. "Don't tell Lieutenant Krieg I said this, but he has got to learn where to put his feet."

"I won't say a word."

Yet another reporter came over to speak to Kristin, so Nathan sat back, keeping an eye both on her as well as watching Lucas and Shannon dance. A fast song was now playing and all of those on the floor were keeping up with the beat, but the two teenagers were moving so fast they were nearly a blur. He was surprised that the girl didn't fall when Lucas swung her out to arm's length and back again several times in succession.

_"Here we come, here we go! We gotta rock-rock-rock-rock..."_

"Did we ever have that much energy?!" He belatedly realized that the reporter was gone and Kristin was leaning in close, raising her voice to make herself be heard.

"Maybe thirty years ago, I might have, but certainly not now!"

The song soon wound to an end and the dancers began to disperse. Barely heard over the cheering as they left the floor, the DJ announced a ten-minute intermission.

"That. Was _awesome_." Lucas flopped back in his chair and Shannon sank into hers next to him. Both were flushed but smiling widely. "You guys should've come with us."

Nathan chuckled. "That's just too much excitement in one song for me."

"I have to agree," Kristin added. "I can dance fairly well, but what you two were doing? I couldn't have possibly kept up."

"There's another one." Shannon nodded in the direction of a reporter being trailed by a cameraman headed their way. "With the DJ taking a break, they'll figure this is a prime time to get last footage."

"We've _got_ to get rid of these guys somehow," Lucas grumbled under his breath. "They aren't even here to talk to me and I'm getting sick of their hovering. I can't imagine how the doc must feel."

"Can't Captain Bridger tell them nicely that the press conference is over?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'd _love_ to. But, he has to be 'diplomatic' and play nice for 'public relations'." Lucas made air quotes with his fingers and glared at the reporter, then suddenly grinned. "But, I also know it's really frustrating him, because he wants Doc Westphalen all to himself."

"Really? Are they dating?"

"Officially...no. Unofficially...well, that's a matter of opinion. Let's just say I know some things, and _seaQuest_ is a pretty small boat." He raised his eyebrows and Shannon giggled under her breath. His gaze returned to the adults and he nodded towards them. "See, he's tapping his fingers. I knew it."

The reporter and her cameraman departed. Shannon raised her own eyebrows as she and Lucas watched Nathan and Kristin talk quietly for several minutes. "I can see what you mean," she finally whispered. "And if I'm not mistaken, the feeling's mutual on her end. How long have they been 'unofficially' together?"

"Pretty much since they met..." Noticing that the DJ had returned, he hopped up and extended his hand to Shannon. "I'll tell you more once we're out there."

Nathan offered Kristin his arm and they, too, headed back out onto the dance floor. "I know this is partly all for you, but if we get interrupted one more time..."

Kristin laughed softly at the frustration written on his face. "You know, Nathan, we could always slip away."

"And go where? They'd follow us...follow you, rather."

"Then we'll have to escape without them noticing, hm?" She disengaged herself from his arms. "Wait a few minutes, then follow me."

Nathan counted two minutes, watching her make her way off the dance floor without making it obvious that she was headed for the door. After she had slipped out, he glanced around and then followed her. Once outside, the change in lighting briefly startled him and he blinked for several minutes, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the moonlit path that led to the beach. It grew easier as he progressed down the path, the native vegetation blocking the light from the banquet hall. The music could still be heard, though the muted roar of the ocean was getting louder.

"Over here, Nathan."

He moved toward the shadowy figure that was Kristin, noticing that she seemed to be hunched over. "What are you doing?"

"Taking off these shoes." Kristin balanced awkwardly on one foot and he stepped forward to offer her a supportive arm to lean on while she removed them. "Thank you. They'll just get stuck in the sand, so I might as well go barefoot."

"Makes sense." He inhaled a deep breath of ocean-scented air. "Peace and quiet, at last."

She laughed, lacing her arm through his, the shoes dangling from her free hand. "And now that you have me all to yourself, what do you have in mind?" she teased.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. It is your night, after all."

"I'll settle for the peace and quiet, actually. I never realized how quiet it can be on _seaQuest_ sometimes, until I'm around so many more people."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Quiet? Are you sure you're thinking of the right ship?"

"Sometimes on the night shift, it's almost peaceful. Usually, the only one making noise is Darwin...if he's even awake."

"When Darwin wants attention, he could wake the dead. I should know."

"Oh, all right. A _little_ quieter, then."

"That's better." He used his best serious-captain voice, but had to start laughing when she smacked his arm in return.

Conversation faded as they walked along the beach. There was more than enough moonlight to see where they were going. The far end was marked by a tall cliff and Kristin was the first to notice the emerging sea turtle hatchlings in its shadow. Some moved slowly, but most scurried quickly into the waiting tides. It was an extraordinary sight and they continued to watch until the last hatchling had gone into the water and the sand was once again still. They looked for signs of any other nests on the return walk, but none were apparent.

_"This is it...last song, y'all."_ As the banquet hall came back into view, the DJ's announcement could be heard floating on the breeze. _"And it's one for you 80's children and romantics...and any Tom Cruise fans, if any still exists."_ An echo of cheering and laughter followed that comment before the first strains of the music began.

"I suppose that's our cue to return," Nathan said reluctantly. He wasn't looking forward to any remaining reporters awaiting them, which he knew there would be-and they would try to follow them all the way back to the harbor. "Sorry that we missed one last chance to dance, though."

"Oh, I wouldn't say we've missed it. We can still hear the music from here."

Nathan smiled wryly. "Then, may I have this dance, Doctor?"

"Certainly, Captain," she replied, imitating his mock-formal tone. Taking his offered hand, she tossed her shoes a few feet away and moved into his arms. The quiet rumble of the waves rolling onto the shore mingled with the distant music that drifted down to the beach on the night breeze.

_"...on this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame..."_

They moved together in a slow circle, easily falling into the rhythm. It felt to Kristin like they were the only two people on the entire island. She reveled in all the sensations-the distant music mixing with the swish and crash of the waves a few feet away, the breeze teasing the back of her neck, the warm strength of Nathan's hands on her waist. It had been a long time since she'd felt this peaceful.

Nathan, for his part, was hyper-aware of Kristin in his arms. He barely heard the music or cared about who might see them, slow dancing on the sand with the tide rushing up to wash around his shoes and Kristin's bare feet. The moonlight seemed to enhance her beauty, even more so than usual. When the breeze picked up, tugging a lock of her hair out of the clip, he reached up to tuck it behind her ear.

A shiver went down her back when his fingertips brushed her ear. The sudden touch of his hand on her cheek startled her and her eyes met his when he tilted her head up. Impulsively, she leaned up to press her lips to his. She felt him briefly freeze before his embrace tightened and the kiss deepened.

_"...if only for today, I am unafraid..."_

The kiss seemed to last an eternity and a moment before they broke apart, both needing to catch their breath. Suddenly feeling light-headed, Kristin leaned her head against Nathan's chest, ignoring the faint prickle of one of the ribbons on her cheek. Their steps slowed and then suddenly stopped, and they stood motionless, wrapped in each other's arms.

He leaned his chin on top of her head, staring out at the starlit waves. He had long contemplated a closer relationship with Kristin, but something always seemed to get in the way of taking that step. Plus, in the back of his mind was the nagging little voice of guilt that kept trying to ask if it would be betraying Carol's memory. But he knew that Carol wouldn't have wanted him to be alone for the rest of his life. And he couldn't deny that he loved Kristin, even though he hadn't dared to admit it out loud.

The faint but clear sound of the DJ bidding a good night to the crowd and the accompanying cheers broke through his train of thought. He belatedly realized that the dance was over. No doubt others would be coming down to the beach-and even if no one did, Shan would send someone to look for them. "We'd better get back."

Kristin nodded, shivering as the breeze changed direction, blowing off the sea and directly at them. Pausing long enough for her to collect her discarded shoes, they walked back up to the banquet hall arm in arm.


	3. 2 - Deconstruct

**Chapter 2 ~ Deconstruct**

"Charlotte Barrett," Ensign Keith Stayton read off the paperwork that was handed to him by the young, blond woman that had just stepped aboard _seaQuest_. He flipped through them one-handed, using the other to enter the necessary information into his console. "Majoring in marine chemistry and completing a thesis on glaciology. So you're a grad student, huh?"

"That's right."

"Hoo, I bet Doc Westphalen is chomping at the bit to get her hands on this one," snickered Seaman Dominic Balducci. "Even if it's just a student."

"I know, right?" Stayton replied.

"_Excuse _me? I am not an 'it'." Charlotte's eyes narrowed, and she looked prepared to say more when a new voice shouted over top of hers.

"Balducci! Stayton!" Both men snapped to attention as a scowling Chief Crocker came up behind them.

"Sir!" they chorused.

"Last time I checked, 'it' was used to refer to inanimate objects, _not_ new crewmembers." Crocker came around the side of the table and stared both of the younger men down. "Now you apologize to this young lady immediately and finish processing for her. Understood?"

The two hurriedly finished checking the paperwork and mumbled their apologies after Balducci presented Charlotte with her new ID card.

"Damn ill-mannered pups," Crocker muttered under his breath. He looked to Charlotte, who was slinging her tote bag back over her shoulder. "Right sorry about that, miss. Some of these kids don't use the common sense God gave them. I'm Crocker, chief of security, and you are...?"

"Charlotte Barrett. But you can call me Charli." She offered him her hand, and he shook it.

"Charli, it is, then. Welcome aboard. If you need any help learning your way around, just ask." He gave her a last smile before turning back to supervise the check-ins.

Charli smiled faintly as she took the stairwell up to C deck. Finding her assigned quarters was easy and she was glad to see that she had been given a single occupancy. She valued her privacy, and it would be much easier to maintain that without a roommate in the way.

After unpacking, she sat down at her console, logged herself into the communications system and sent a quick message:

_Cousin,_

_Got safely onboard the __**seaQuest**__. Met the security chief...a nice guy. Almost too nice, if you know what I mean. We're shipping out sometime tonight. I heard talk that we may be heading north, so if I'm nearby and we dock for a time, I'll let you know._

_C_

* * *

_**the next morning**_

Charli stepped through the entrance into sea deck and had her first good look around. It seemed to be a wide open space, with the entrance to the science labs on one side while the other was taken up by a good-sized pool. A thick metal door marked "Moon Pool" and imprinted with various warnings and instructions was on the far wall. Everyone knew about _seaQuest's_ Navy-trained dolphin, and this was obviously his accommodations, along with the tubing she'd seen high up on the corridor walls that gave him shipwide access. As she watched, a sleek gray shape crossed the pool and came up to the edge, where Kristin Westphalen was waiting for him. Charli couldn't hear what she was saying to the animal, since the doctor's words mixed with the electronic-sounding chatter from the vocoder and the natural clicks and whistles.

_"New person. Who is...new person?"_

Charli's eyes widened a fraction when she realized that the dolphin was actually referring to _her_. The doctor looked up and their eyes met.

"Ah, you must be my grad student." Standing up straight, Kristin offered Charli a welcoming smile as she crossed the deck and met her halfway. "Charlotte, isn't it?"

Charli nodded. "Call me Charli, please. It's nice to meet you, Doctor."

"Oh, you can call me Kristin if you wish. We don't really stand on formality around here."

"That may take some getting used to, but all right," Charli smiled.

_"Doctor Kristin...who is new person?"_

"My, you are impatient this morning, Darwin." Kristin's dark eyes glimmered with amusement as she returned to sit on the edge of the pool. She rubbed Darwin's head gently, but his eye was fixed on the human he did not recognize. "Darwin, this is Charli."

Darwin whistled twice and bobbed his head. _"Charli,"_ the vocoder voice responded.

"It's nice to meet you too, Darwin. Can I pet him? I mean, is he okay with strangers doing that?" When Kristin nodded, Charli sat down on the edge and reached out. The dolphin butted the side of his head against the offered hand.

_"Charli rub."_ The electronic voice sounded almost gleeful.

"You'll find out that Darwin doesn't consider anyone friendly a stranger," Kristin replied with a smile.

_"Charli swim?"_

"Maybe later." Charli sat up and got to her feet. "I have lots of work to do."

_"Work."_

Kristin led the way into the lab area. "Your proposal says your thesis is about projecting future Ice Ages and the effects it may have on the ocean's chemistry, as well as overall effects. We're actually spending the next couple months up in the northern Pacific, though there're no plans to go any further north than the Bering Strait. At least, none that I know of. But you still might have the opportunity to study some of the underwater glacial movement." She slid onto a stool in front of her main console, tapping in her passcode with one hand while patting the stool next to her with the other in invitation. "We've a scheduled stop in Anchorage at Elmendorf-Richardson Base, and then we're heading southwest into Indo-Asian waters."

"How long will the ship be docked in Anchorage? I mean, will there be time for me to go ashore at all?" Accepting the invitation, Charli settled onto the offered stool.

"I'm not sure. But when I see Captain Bridger later, I'll ask him."

"Or you can ask him right now." Nathan's cheerful voice behind them startled both women, and they turned to see him stepping into the lab. "I'm sure you'll get the official inventory list from Lieutenant Krieg later, but I wanted to let you know that the supply officers at Pearl made sure to get everything on your part of the list."

"Good to know. Thank you. Oh, this is our new intern, Nathan. Charlotte Barrett, Captain Bridger."

The two shook hands. "So, what did you want to know about our route?"

"Just if we're going to be stopping in Anchorage for awhile, sir," Charli replied. "If we are, then I could plan in a day trip or two for work in the field."

"Unfortunately, we won't have time for that. We're only scheduled to be there about eighteen hours and we'll be leaving sometime around 0200." Leaning over Kristin's shoulder, Nathan tapped a couple commands into her console, bringing up a map of the Pacific that showed _seaQuest's_ current location, as well as the planned route. "But barring any complications, once out of Anchorage, the intention is to sail due west and then turn south along the Russian coast for awhile on the way to Japan. No stops, but there might be time for taking out a _seaCrab_ for a closer look at the subsurface glacial structure."

"That would be great! Thanks, Captain." Charli hopped off the footstool. "I guess I better get started so I'll be ready when that time comes." Once Kristin pointed out her assigned console, she was off like a shot.

"Oh, to be young again and have all that energy," Kristin remarked, watching the girl delve into her work. "I woke up this morning, wishing I could have slept in after last night's chaos."

"And when we were that age, we mocked our elders for taking their time," Nathan added, shaking his head.

Kristin rolled her eyes. "I know! What the hell were we thinking?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Charli watched the pair laugh together. The captain had taken the stool she'd vacated and soon, both of them were bent over the doctor's console. Their voices were low, so she couldn't make out the conversation. From all appearances, they were working. But their body language told an entirely different story.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who recognized that fact. Glancing around while the console uploaded her files, she saw a few different members of the science staff smile and nudge one another while gesturing in their superior's direction. So, it seemed to be common knowledge. _I wonder if they really are together? That would certainly be very interesting if they were..._

* * *

_**somewhere in the Aleutian Islands, three weeks later**_

Len looked around the room, watching the assistants setting up their equipment. They were talking in low voices, conferring that things were arranged properly as it was placed and secured. The ground briefly rumbled under their feet and everyone stopped, glancing around nervously until it passed.

"That's the tenth quake in as many minutes," muttered one of the assistants. He was dark-haired and stocky, and his hands trembled slightly as he pushed a computer tower into place and strapped it to the counter.

"Are we sure this is a good place to be setting up?" another assistant asked. He was younger than the first, and his straight black hair and high cheekbones proclaimed his Aleut heritage. He gestured out the nearby window at the distant volcanic peak on the horizon that jutted into the evening sky. "Just because she hasn't blown in a century doesn't mean she won't at some point while we're here."

Len gave the young man a skeptical look. "I wouldn't worry about it, Kamik. Besides, if there was any imminent danger, your relatives who still live on the other side of the island would have been 'encouraged' to evacuate long ago."

"True," Kamik shrugged. "_But_ volcanoes aren't exactly all that predictable, even with modern observation methods. And neither this one, nor a few native villagers, are that much priority to the UEO scientists or their superiors. They have bigger prey to land."

"Which is why this location is ideal," a third man pointed out. He was short and about the same age as Kamik, with spiky light-brown hair and snapping blue eyes. "No one's gonna be looking for us here...and with my setup, no one will _know_ we're here, either."

"We get it, Hack, you're a self-proclaimed genius." The dark-haired man rolled his eyes.

"You're just jealous, Walt."

"Hardly. You're going to be tied to that machine during this whole thing. _I'm_ the one who gets to have all the fun later on."

"Will you two shut up, please?" Len said tiredly. Walt and Hack had taken a dislike to one another upon first meeting and had spent most of the time sniping at one another when they were in the same room, which wore on everyone else's nerves.

Walt grumbled under his breath. Hack ignored him and, slapping down a keyboard, plugged it into the computer bank, along with a couple other items. Flicking the power button, he watched the monitor light up and the computer cycle through its start-up process. Punching in several commands, two other monitors on either side of him lit up as well. "And we're online." Punching in another set of commands, the lights came up to full brightness. "And we have power."

"Just make sure we're masked," Len reminded him. "We don't need any problems."

"You got it, boss."

Leaving Hack to his work and the others to finish setting up, Len wandered through their new home. The facility had originally been an emergency landing field briefly used by pilots during World War II. In the early 2000's, NORPAC had reopened it as an adjunct to a newer base on one of the larger islands, but the constant seismic activity soon made them decide to move the facilities completely to the new base. It had been abandoned ever since, and what was left had been completely ignored for nearly a decade.

The seismic activity and weather had taken its toll on some of the buildings, but the old science lab that had been chosen was stronger than the others. It was quite large and, as a bonus, there was a tunnel that turned out to be connected to an underground area. _Or perhaps undersea would be the correct term, _Len thought, studying the faded layout map on the wall. Observation chamber, isolation chambers, storage, and lastly, a center area marked with a large blue circle, whose label was so faded with time that it was unreadable.

A quick walk and check of each of the rooms proved that no leaks had developed in the undersea lab. Without the more modern, reinforced insulation and climate control installed, it was chilly and damp, the structure being fully embraced by the icy northern Pacific waters. Shivering, Len ignored the cold and stepped into the last room. Another faint seismic rumble rocked the floor momentarily. When it stilled, the faint but unmistakable sound of water lapping at rock was still audible.

Stepping fully inside the room, Len felt for the light panel. When the lights came up, they were a good deal dimmer than the rest of the lab. They flickered and almost went out, then brightened slightly. When the flickering finally stopped, Len's eyes focused in the dimness. What was first perceived as a darker, circular area took on the shape of a sunken pool in the center of the room. Stepping closer to look down into the water, Len guessed it was about ten feet deep at minimum and seemed to be cut directly from the seafloor. Faded signs on the far walls bore scientific instructions about water sampling and operating pumps to drain and refill the pool, but those went unnoticed. A sudden thought crossed Len's mind, and a cruel smile soon followed as the thought bloomed.

"Perfect."


	4. 3 - Don't Speak

**Chapter 3 ~ Don't Speak**

_**Northern Pacific Ocean, two months later**_

Nathan sighed and wished for the hundredth time that he could start the day over. It had been one of those days where if something could go wrong, it did. Minor malfunctions had been cropping up almost from the minute he'd stepped onto the bridge. As soon as Hitchcock and her crew fixed one problem, they found themselves facing another. Two bridge officers had failed to report for their shifts, but had tried refusing the medics sent to their quarters to check on them. When finally confronted by Doctor Levin, they finally admitted that they were severely hung over, the result of having snuck a bottle of real Scotch on board from Pearl Harbor.

This left the bridge crew shorthanded when a distress call reached the _seaQuest _from a homesteading colony that was under attack. The attackers were eventually subdued with surprisingly little trouble, and it was discovered why. The "pirates" were, in fact, a group of half a dozen young men, mostly teenagers, who had decided that attacking the colony was a way to spend a lazy afternoon. Faced with the might of the UEO's flagship, they had immediately surrendered and tried in vain to promise to make amends.

"The youngest of the lot don't look much older than Lucas, Cap," Crocker said in disgust as he climbed out of the launch. "They've not only claimed they were doing it because they were bored, but thought it was _funny_ to be terrorizing those people, to boot. But they don't think it's so funny now, though...they're just beggin' us not to drop 'em off to the MPs once we reach port."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "How much damage was there?" He directed this question to Hitchcock, who had just stepped off the ladder behind Crocker.

"Thankfully, not too much. But we may need to stay another day or two to ensure that the structural weakening we found in some of their shelters doesn't worsen." The chief engineer dropped her tool kit at her feet and paused to stretch out the kinks in her fingers. "We may have another option, though." At Nathan's questioning look, Katie went on. "Lieutenant Moore, Ensign Faraday and Seaman Elmlinger have all volunteered to stay behind, do the work and catch up with us. All we'd have to do is leave them a Speeder and they could meet us in Anchorage when they're done."

Nathan nodded. "See to it, Commander."

"Aye, sir." Getting out her PAL, Katherine punched in Lieutenant Moore's code and scooped up her tool kit, heading out of the launch bay.

Crocker had disappeared back into the launch to deal with the prisoners. Nathan headed for the Maglev, and keyed on the audio link once he was inside and seated.

"Bridge, there will be a _seaSpeeder_ going out shortly. Once it clears the docking bay, resume course for Anchorage."

"Aye, sir."

Switching the link off, Nathan slumped back into the Maglev's cushions, closing his eyes and silently willing away the headache that was beginning to build. _Now let's hope nothing else goes wrong today._

* * *

Down on sea deck, it was business as usual, despite the earlier encounter with the would-be pirates. Kristin and Charli had spent the entire day immersed in the latter's upcoming plans for thesis work.

"I want to see how much calving has happened in the last year on the Makar Glacier." Charli keyed up a series of photos on her console. "This is from the trip to Siberia last year and my group was only there for two weeks. We spent four to five days at each site, but none of the other glaciers showed nearly this much activity. And we only got to see above water, so I'm doubly curious to see what's beneath the surface."

"I'd start with drawing water samples at various depths and running chemical analysis," Kristin suggested. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, this pattern of calving and the resulting melt could begin to cause desalinization down the line."

The blonde nodded. "Plus, whatever else may be contained inside the ice could pose any number of potential threats to the ocean's chemistry."

"It is a bit of a pity we're not in Anchorage that long. If we were, you'd be able to take those day trips you were asking about on your first day..." They were both distracted by a shriek from the far side of the deck. A young engineer was staring into the moon pool in horror, her shaking hand pointing down into the water.

Kristin rose to her feet. "What in the..."

"There's blood in the water!"

Without even stopping to think, Kristin ran straight for the moon pool's edge. She leaped over the barrier, plunging into the water. "Get me the dolphin medkit!" she hollered over her shoulder once she surfaced.

She swam out into the center of the moon pool, meeting Darwin halfway. He was moving sluggishly and making keening sounds of distress. Talking softly to him, she encouraged him to swim over to the far side where several other crewmembers were prepping the dolphin stretcher. A second splash got her attention and she looked up to see Charli had jumped in as well, medkit in hand. Charli handed the medkit over to Kristin the moment she was within arm's reach, then motioned to Darwin in a "come here" gesture. "C'mon, Darwin. Come to the stretcher."

Darwin ignored the young intern entirely, sticking by Kristin's side. He refused to even swim towards the stretcher until she nudged him in that direction and, even then, he floated into its confines reluctantly. He was strangely quiet, only reacting when Kristin moved out of his sight range. No amount of rubbing or gentle words from Doctor Levin or the other medics soothed him; he would not be dissuaded, his whistling and keening rising in volume each time he lost sight of Kristin.

"Apparently, he wants no one else today." Kristin handed the open medkit over to Joshua after her third failed attempt at an examination. She rubbed a gentle hand along the dolphin's snout and he grew quiet once more.

Darwin's only physical injury turned out to be a small gash on his tail. With some coaxing from Kristin, he held still long enough for Joshua to treat and bandage it. A little more persuasion via vocoder made the reason for his injury clear: he'd narrowly escaped the clutches of a shark. A nearby pod of other dolphins in the area had responded to his distress whistles and drove the shark back long enough for him to make his way back to the ship.

"Keep an eye on him, Joshua. I want him closely observed for the next twelve hours," Kristin ordered, hoisting herself out of the pool. She removed her shoes, pouring the water out, then stripped off her lab coat and wrung it out as well. Charli waded over and Kristin offered her a hand up. "We've got spare jumpsuits kept in storage for moments like this. It'll do you for the rest of the day."

Charli nodded, taking two towels from the nearby rack. "Does this happen often?" She handed one over to Kristin, kicking off her shoes at the same time.

"Jumping in fully clothed? Not often, but it can happen. Some of my staff keep a change of clothes at their workstations just in case."

After a brief stop in the main storage room, both of them went into unused rooms in medbay to change. The noise from sea deck could faintly be heard echoing through the adjoining doors. Used to it, Kristin mentally tuned it out. Therefore, she was a little surprised by the air of tension she felt when she and Charli stepped down out of medbay. The reason soon became clear when she spotted Nathan and Lucas in a quiet, heated conversation. When Nathan turned suddenly and left Lucas standing there in obvious mid-sentence, the boy stared after him for a moment and then shrugged to himself.

_I wonder what that was all about._ Lucas was already heading for the door, but having caught sight of her, detoured her way.

"I wouldn't go over there if I were you, Doc." At the raised eyebrow he got in response, Lucas went on, "He's really mad that no one called him to let him know what happened to Darwin."

"Better I talk to him now. If I look like I'm avoiding the issue, it'll just make things worse." Kristin sighed, not looking forward to the upcoming confrontation.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you." With that parting shot, Lucas left.

"Thank you for your help and quick thinking earlier, Charli." She patted the girl on the shoulder. Charli nodded and returned to her workstation, using one hand to keep wringing her braid out for several minutes. Finally, she gave up and draped the towel around her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Kristin headed back down the steps to the moon pool. Nathan was sitting on the pool's edge talking quietly to Darwin. She intended to wait until they were done, but Darwin whistled when he spotted her, therefore revealing her presence. She could see his anger in the set of his shoulders and in the way he avoided looking at her as he gave Darwin's melon a final rub.

"No more thumping your tail on the surface now," Nathan lectured, getting to his feet. "You're going to undo all of Doctor Levin's first-aid."

"Oh, I'm sure Joshua's bandaging will hold up just fine." They watched the dolphin sink beneath the surface of the water and begin a slow circle around the pool. The silence stretched on for a long moment before she finally broke it.

"Why do I have the feeling you're angry with me?"

"You're damn right I am. I have to find out from _Lucas_ that Darwin had a narrow escape from a shark? I should have been called down here the moment you noticed blood in the water!"

"I'm sorry, I thought one of the others had already informed you. As for myself, I was a little preoccupied at the time." His forbidding look didn't fade and it began to annoy her. "Do I need to remind you that tending to the patient is the first priority?"

"Do I need to remind _you_ that while Darwin may be a member of this crew, he's still _my_ dolphin?"

Kristin folded her arms. "Your bond with him aside, Nathan, dolphins do not _belong_ to anyone," she said pointedly.

"The fact remains that the only reason he is even on this boat in the first place is because I am. That means wherever I go, he goes."

"That _still_ doesn't make him your property..."

_"Bridge to the captain."_

Nathan tapped the nearby audio link to switch it on. "Yes?" he snapped.

_"You have a call from Captain Tillman at Elmendorf-Richardson. It's been rerouted to the ward room."_

"On my way." He tapped the audio link again to turn it off and met Kristin's glare with one of his own. "We'll finish this discussion later, Doctor. But in the future, I need to know what's going on at all times and I'd appreciate it if you didn't question my authority."

"Fine, _Captain_." She couldn't believe he was being so unreasonable.

Neither of them noticed Charli surreptitiously watching the entire scene. By the time Kristin came back up the steps into the lab and the captain had departed sea deck, Charli was back at work. But a faint smirk played across her face for the rest of the afternoon.


	5. 4 - Tacita Ultio

**A/N: My information on the Aleut language, mythology and art used in this chapter was pulled from a few different sources. They include Omniglot, Native-Languages, the Kate Shugak novels written by bestselling author (and Alaskan native) Dana Stabenow, and various sources linked from Wikipedia's articles on the Aleutian people and their culture. The mask described in detail is called "Raven Stealing the Sun" and was done by artist Jerry Laktonen. You can google his name to see more of his beautiful creations.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 ~ Tacita Ultio**

**_Anchorage, Alaska_**

"Are you sure you don't mind staying here all by yourself?"

Charli smiled in mild amusement. It was the fourth time Kristin had asked her that same question that morning. Most of the crew were taking what little time there was for a day of shore leave. "Honest, Doctor, I'll be fine. I really need to work on my thesis anyway."

"Very well, then." Kristin shut down her console. "Then I suppose I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, Darwin will want to go out to eat in about two hours. And since we're docked, no need to pressurize the moon pool, either. When he comes back in, check his tail if he'll let you, just to make sure the bandages have stayed in place. I know he's been rather contrary of late." She cast a fond look in the direction of the moon pool. "If there are any problems, just contact the bridge and they'll get ahold of Doctor Levin or myself."

Charli waved good-bye and watched the doctor head out the door. She counted five minutes while listening to the odd sound of near silence that encompassed sea deck before opening a communication link on her console and typing in a brief message:

_Cuz,_

_I think I will have time for lunch, after all. I'll meet you in about three hours at that café you mentioned. But don't forget, I have to return to the ship no later than 1700._

_C_

* * *

"Are you sure you don't wish to go ashore, sir?" Jonathan Ford studied the captain's profile, noticing the tension in his posture. He had not missed his superior officer's dark disposition of the past few days. He figured it had to do with Darwin's recent injury, but wondered if something more was going on, as he knew that the dolphin was healing well.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm not in the mood right now. I can wait until we get to Japan. Go enjoy yourself, Jonathan."

After his first officer had departed, Nathan sighed, staring at the WSKR view onscreen without really seeing it. He hadn't spoken to Kristin in three days. The only times they'd seen one another had been in passing; she had either avoided his gaze or nodded politely. He sensed she was still annoyed with him. In hindsight, he didn't blame her. She had been right about the patient being first priority, and he had completely ignored that.

Their argument had spoiled his initial plans to ask her to dinner. He had even had a location in mind: a small, family-run Italian place that overlooked Prince William Sound. The late sunsets always painted the glaciers with a myriad of colors and there was usually a chance of seeing otters or sea lions on the rocks below.

He idly wondered if she had intended on taking any shore leave. He didn't remember her mentioning it, so hopefully, she was still onboard. It wouldn't be what he'd originally had in mind, but if she accepted his apology, at least they could spend some time together. Opening the audio link, he entered the code to sea deck.

_"Sea Deck, this is Barrett."_

"Miss Barrett, is Doctor Westphalen there?" he asked, doing his best to hide his disappointment.

_"I'm sorry, Captain Bridger, but she went topside about a half hour ago. Was it urgent? I could try paging her PAL."_

"No, that's all right. Thank you." Closing the link, he sighed again, this time in discontent. He would have to wait until tomorrow, it seemed.

* * *

Despite spending all morning and most of the afternoon walking about Anchorage, Kristin couldn't shake off her glum mood. She hadn't talked to Nathan since their argument the day of Darwin's incident. Both of them had been no more busy than usual, but every time there was a free moment, she found herself putting it off, not willing to get into another argument should he still be angry with her.

Hopefully, the upcoming weeks while they headed towards Japan would prove to be a welcome distraction. Charli was sketching out a timeframe to do her glacial studies and had already told Kristin she was welcome to join her. Arrangements were already in place for Lieutenant Krieg to drive a _seaCrab_ and be her escort. The girl was truly a delight to have aboard _seaQuest_. She got along well with everyone she interacted with, though there were no signs of forming any sort of close bonds with anyone, which was a bit puzzling. Normally, on long tours, people made friends quickly so they had companionship for the months ahead.

Shrugging the thought away, she paused before the display window of a shop that was showcasing various forms of Aleut art. The delicately woven baskets were first to catch her eye, but the masks were what drew her inside the shop. She circled the shop's interior, studying each of them, but found herself returning to one that was part of a larger display in the shop's central area. It was round and painted mostly black, with black feathers attached around the edges. The red paint used to create the mask's face seemed to be glaring at her and gave her a momentary chill down her back.

"_Aang_, anything I can help you find?" The young Aleut girl who had been behind the counter stepped out onto the floor. Her name tag read "Katya".

Kristin shook her head. "Not in particular. I came in for a closer look at your masks. They're quite exquisite."

Katya nodded. "My uncle's work. He has been creating masks for almost forty years now. Each one is inspired by ancestral tales. Does any one in particular catch your eye?"

"They're all beautiful, but this one..." Kristin brushed her fingertips over the round mask's black feathers. "It is just as beautiful, but at the same time, almost...sinister."

"That is _Qanglaagix_. Raven, the trickster," the girl explained. "But he was not evil. He always ended up helping the people; he simply caused a lot of trouble in the process." A faint smile curved her lips.

Kristin found herself smiling as well. "Sounds like Lucas." At Katya's questioning look, she added, "Lucas is one of my research assistants on the ship I work on."

"You are a UEO officer? For some reason, you look familiar."

"Oh, no, I'm not in the military. I'm a doctor on a UEO ship, though."

Katya's eyes widened. "That is why you look familiar! You are the _seaQuest's_ doctor. I saw the stories about your award on the news. It must be very exciting to sail all around the world."

Kristin smiled at the girl's exuberance. "It can be, but it's not all excitement and new discoveries."

"I suppose that is true. Much work must be done before the rewards of the harvest can be reaped." Katya waved a hand. "But you are not here to listen to me chatter like a chickadee, obviously. So if there is anything I can help you find or that you wish to have a closer look at, let me know."

"Well, my daughter's birthday is coming up in a couple months..." Kristin's gaze fell on another display of carved wooden figurines inside a glass cabinet. One immediately caught her eye, that of a dolphin jumping from a wave.

Katya's gaze followed hers. "Some of these are also my uncle's work. His favorite animals to carve are the otter and the dolphin."

"The dolphin is actually the one I was looking at." Before Kristin could even ask, Katya had ducked behind the counter and opened up the case, removing the small wooden dolphin. She handed it to Kristin, who turned it over slowly in her hands, admiring the details in the craftsmanship. "Such lovely work. I think I'll take this one for Cynthia."

The faint jangle form the door made Katya look up. "_Aang, _be with you in a moment." After ringing up the transaction, she wrapped the carved dolphin carefully in protective paper, then secured it in a box. "Here you are. I hope your daughter likes it."

Kristin took the box and gave Katya a final smile. "Oh, I'm sure she will. Thank you."

"You are welcome. It was nice to meet you."

"The same. Have a good afternoon, Katya."

"And you, Doctor. _Ukudigada_."

"Excuse me." Kristin was almost to the door when the words got her attention. She turned to face a dark-haired man about her age. His expression was one of worry. "Did I hear the shop clerk say you're a doctor?"

"Yes, I am."

The man sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. Could I get your help with my friend? We just got into town and, while I was parking the car, he started complaining of chest pain. I tried to ask him how bad it was, but he passed out."

"And you've called for assistance?" Kristin followed the man as he led the way outside and towards a light-colored vehicle parked nearby.

"I have, but they seem to be taking a really long time. And my friend-he has a family history and all..." The man gestured helplessly and opened the car door, stepping back to allow her access.

"Well, I can look him over and anything I can determine, I'll inform the paramedics when they arrive." Kristin peered inside the car. A young Aleut man sat slumped over in the seat. His face was unnaturally pale and he was breathing shallowly. The sight made her climb in next to him without thinking. She pressed two fingers to his neck and barely had time to feel the steady beat against her fingertips before she was roughly grabbed from behind. A wet cloth was pressed to her face. Recognizing the nauseatingly sweet scent, she tried in vain to jerk her head away from it. But the little she had already inhaled was enough to send her spiraling down into unconsciousness.

* * *

The launch bay was a hubbub of activity that evening, with many of the crew returning from their day of shore leave. Charli climbed up the ladder and quickly descended the steps to the ID scanner, ignoring the chaos around her. Unshouldering her backpack, she dug out her ID card and passed it under the scanner. The scanner chirped in response and she returned the card to its place. Turning to leave the launch bay, she suddenly paused with a frown. Reaching back into the pocket she'd placed the ID card into, she removed it again and looked more closely at it; then shook her head in self-deprecation and rifled through the pocket again.

"Hey, Charli."

The greeting made her jump. She forced herself to take a deep breath before she turned to face a member of the science team.

Ensign Alisha Williams stood behind her, her own ID card in hand. "You okay?"

Charli swiped the newfound card under the scanner and waited for the confirming chirp. "Hey, Alisha. Nothing's wrong, but I just tried to use my university ID to check myself back onboard." _She didn't see it...did she? No, she couldn't have._

Williams smiled and swiped her ID before putting it back in the pocket of her jeans. "Yeah, I don't think that will work."

_Okay, she didn't. That's a relief. _"Oh, the computer told me so in no uncertain terms." The two young women laughed together as they left the launch bay.

* * *

As _seaQuest_ crossed from the Cook Inlet into open water at 0210 the next morning, a small craft was docking on a distant island in the Aleutians. Were anyone able to see through the cloak of fog blanketing the island, they would have noticed two figures climb out of the craft supporting a third, and a fourth figure come out of a nearby building to meet them.

"Took you long enough."

"C'mon, Len, cut us some slack. The currents around Unimak were a bitch to navigate."

"I'm not interested in your little problems. Did anyone follow you?"

"If they had, do you think would we be here right now? No, we'd be leading them on a wild goose chase."

"_Don't_ get smart with me. I need to ensure that no one finds out we're here, or that we have _her_ until I'm ready for them to know."

"They won't. The hand-off was taken care of. Long as it made it to the receiving end, we're good."

"Her communication device?"

"Tossed off the docks before we left. Far as anyone will know, she's still in Anchorage."

"Perfect."


	6. 5 - That Certain Fury

**A/N: Thanks goes to a few people on this chapter:**

**- Vici for her help and input on O'Neill's cameo.  
- Giry for her help with Noyce's cameo.  
- Beta goddess Darkin for her help with the chapter's end and teaching me about perspective changes. :)  
- And last but certainly not least, beta goddess Cam for her extensive help with many elements of dialogue.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 ~ That Certain Fury**

_**Bering Sea**_

It was quiet on the bridge of the _seaQuest_. Jonathan paced a slow circle past each station, occasionally glancing over a crewmember's shoulder. They had been making good time since they'd left Anchorage in the wee hours of the morning; they were nearly past the Aleutians. Pausing in front of the navigation table, he noticed that they were also about two hours from the Russian Confederation's border.

Hearing the com link chirp behind him, he returned to his chair and keyed the audio link on. "Bridge, this is Ford."

_"Commander, Doctor Levin here. Is Doctor Westphalen up there, by any chance?"_

Surprised by the question and the urgency in Levin's tone, it took the first officer a moment to respond. "No, Mr. Levin. At least I haven't seen her." Jonathan raised his voice so the whole bridge crew could hear him. "Anyone seen Doctor Westphalen this morning?" Quizzical looks and a chorus of negatives was the answer. "Check her quarters, Mr. Levin, and keep asking around."

While he waited to hear back from Levin, Jonathan pulled up the security logs from the day before. He noticed that it showed Kristin having checked back onboard at 1709 hours. Curious, he ran a quick diagnostic on the log file to ensure it had not somehow glitched or been tampered with. When the diagnostic came back clean, he took a closer look at it, noticing that Lieutenant Phillips had checked in before her, with Charli Barrett and Ensign Williams having been right behind her. That meant at least one of them had to have seen her...

The chirp of the audio link distracted him and he tapped it on again without even looking at it. "Bridge."

_"Commander, may I speak with you, please?"_

"Certainly, Doctor. Meet me in the ward room." Jonathan glanced behind him to Katie. "You have the bridge." Katie nodded in response and stepped down from her station.

A few minutes later, Jonathan met Joshua Levin outside the Maglev on deck B. The look on the young doctor's face gave him his answer, but he gestured for him to step into the ward room.

"Every corner of the labs, medbay and sea deck has been checked. And she wasn't in her quarters, Commander. It looks like her bed hasn't been slept in either."

"Then it's time we tell the captain." Jonathan stepped back out into the corridor, Joshua following, and tapped on the door of the captain's quarters. When they were told to enter, they found Nathan perusing a stack of paperwork. He looked up and nodded in greeting.

"Commander, Doctor Levin. What can I do for you?"

"Sir, Doctor Westphalen seems to be..." Joshua hesitated. "...missing."

Nathan took off his glasses and stared at the younger man in disbelief. "What do you mean 'missing'?"

Joshua repeated to the captain everything he had told the first officer, ending with, "I've kept it as quiet as I can, sir, but I'm not the only one who's noticed that she didn't show up this morning."

"We couldn't have left port this morning without all crew accounted for. How could this be possible?"

Jonathan shook his head. "And that's the odd thing, sir. I double-checked the logs and the computer shows that she checked back in at 1709 yesterday evening."

"When was the last time you saw her, Mr. Levin?"

"Yesterday morning. We bumped into each other in the launch bay on my way out to take shore leave. That was about 0930."

Nathan tapped his audio link on. "Chief Crocker, please report to my quarters."

_"On my way."_

While waiting for Crocker's arrival, Nathan got out his PAL and keyed in Kristin's code. Silence was the only answer and he frowned. It wasn't like her not to answer her PAL, much less not show up for her shift at all.

Crocker's entrance disrupted his train of thought. "What did you need, Cap?"

Nathan closed his PAL with a sigh. "We have a situation, Chief. Doctor Westphalen is apparently missing. The log shows she came back onboard, yet she hasn't been seen since yesterday morning."

"Checked her quarters?" At the nods he received, he added, "Anything out of place in them?"

"Not that I could tell," Joshua replied. "But I've only been to her quarters once before, so I couldn't say for sure."

"Hmm, I could disguise the search as a surprise inspection. That way, it gets done without letting the entire crew know what's really going on. We'll also make sure that the doc is the only one we can't account for." The security chief looked to Ford. "What time's the log say she got back on the boat?"

"1709 yesterday. Phillips checked in about five minutes before her. And after her, it was Barrett at 1711 and Williams right behind her."

"Talk to all of them. Also talk to any others who saw her leave that morning besides you, Doctor," Nathan added. "We have to establish a timeline."

"You got it, Cap." Crocker left first, followed by Joshua.

"Sir, do you want me to order helm to turn around and take us back to Anchorage?"

Nathan shook his head. "Not yet, Commander. Better to keep this quiet for now." _Where could she be?_

* * *

_"Attention, all hands, we are running a surprise inspection. Please remain where you are until further notice. Thank you."_

Lucas looked up from his monitor at the sound of Ford's announcement. "What the heck?" he mumbled.

_"What's going on, Lucas?"_

Lucas turned back to face the monitor with a shrug. "Some sort of inspection. And since they said stay where you are until further notice, I guess that means you're stuck with me," he finished with a grin.

On the other end of the vid link, Shannon Noyce laughed. _"I could think of worse places to be."_

Down on sea deck, the science team looked up in curious surprise at the announcement as well. A few minutes later, a four-man team from security led by Chief Shan stepped in.

"Everyone can remain at their workstations," Shan announced. "We only need you to have your ID cards ready, please." He gestured to Ensign Crenshaw, who was holding a portable ID scanner.

Tapping in her passcode to save her work, Charli took her ID card out of her workstation drawer. She watched the security officer circle the room with wary eyes. A pat on the arm distracted her and she realized that Alisha Williams was by her side.

"It can be a little unnerving the first time, I know," Alisha said, pushing her glasses up with the back of her hand. "But it's nothing to worry about unless you hear a call for battle stations. The military half of the crew has to do these exercises now and then."

"But maybe there's something else going on?" Charli asked, keeping her voice low. "I heard one of the nurses saying Doctor Levin seemed upset. Something about he needs to talk to Doctor Westphalen and can't find her."

"Well, she's around, I'm sure," the dark-haired ensign shrugged. Seeing Crenshaw headed their way, she fished her ID out of her jumpsuit pocket and held it out for him.

Crenshaw ran the scanner wand over Alisha's ID, waited for the confirming chirp, and did the same with Charli's. He glanced between it and a printed page he held in his other hand each time, then nodded to himself. "That's everyone, sir," he said to Shan, who was standing nearby.

Shan flipped open his PAL and punched in a code. "Chief, sea deck is secure."

_"Proceed to D deck, then."_

"Aye." Shan pocketed his PAL. "Thank you all for cooperating." He led the security team out.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Alisha patted Charli's arm again, then got up from the stool she'd been sitting on. "And now back to the grind. Inventory, yay," she added in a fake cheery voice. "I hope we get to one of your glaciers soon. At least testing water samples could prove to be a _little_ more exciting."

Charli smiled slightly and turned back to her console. "Me, too."

* * *

Nathan had tried to return to his paperwork while waiting for the results of the search, but could not find his focus and eventually found himself in the ward room, pacing the length of the room. How could the log show that Kristin had returned from shore leave, yet no one had seen her since the day before? More importantly, why wasn't she answering her PAL?

He was circling his desk for the tenth time when he heard footsteps in the corridor. Abandoning any pretense of patience, he met Crocker's gaze the minute Crocker entered. "Well?"

"We've gone stem to stern, Cap," Crocker replied. "Only one unaccounted for is Doc Westphalen; everyone else is right where they should be."

"How is this possible?" Nathan demanded, more to himself than Crocker. "And if she's not onboard, why does the log say she is?" A quick tap on the door preceded William Shan's entrance.

"After we completed the search, I took the liberty of stopping by the doctor's quarters," the assistant security chief began. "As Doctor Levin stated, her bed appears untouched. The only things I noticed that might be considered out of place were half a cup of tea and an open book on her desk. Her personal console shows her last activity ending at 2245 hours two days ago."

Shan's report only added to Nathan's frustration. Nothing was adding up. "We need to run the logs through another diagnostic. Make sure there are no errors or evidence of tampering. Then interview anyone who checked back in around the time the log has her returning within a ten minute window."

_"Captain to the bridge."_

_Now what?_ "On my way."

"Lieutenant Phillips is being interviewed now, sir." Shan stepped out the hatch first, since he was closest to it. "I'll be retrieving Ensign Williams and Miss Barrett shortly."

"Thank you, Shan." Shan nodded and headed down the corridor as the two senior officers stepped into the waiting Maglev.

* * *

Nathan hurried up the steps to the bridge's main floor. "Status."

"We're receiving an odd transmission, Captain." Tim O'Neill was the first to speak up.

"Origin?"

"Unknown. And that's not the only odd thing about it." The communications officer was busily entering commands on his console and only looked up again when Nathan came to look over his shoulder. "The transmission has a refracted pattern disbursement. Whoever's sending it has a masking program in place that not only disguises the originating source, it's also bouncing it across several different communication networks. Now, the good thing is, the disbursement is occurring within a limited radius, but it's still going to take me some time to pinpoint it."

"Go ahead and put it through, but keep at it."

The main screen lit up briefly with static and then slowly focused. The room that appeared was shadowed, the only source of light seeming to come from the monitor itself as it cast a bluish glow over the face of the brunette staring back at them. Her pale blue eyes flickered quickly over each crewmember before finally settling on Nathan. When their gazes met, hers narrowed slightly before she spoke.

_"Captain Bridger. So _nice_ to finally make your acquaintance."_

"It would seem you have me at a disadvantage," Nathan replied evenly, schooling his expression to remain calm, even while his sixth sense was ringing alarms in the back of his mind. "And you are?"

_"You may call me Len."_

He didn't recognize her, yet there was something about her bearing that seemed eerily familiar and sent an unwelcome chill down his spine. "And what is this regarding?"

_"I have something of importance that belongs to you. Or should I say...some_one_."_

The words seemed to hang in the air, adding to the tension on the bridge. Apprehension curled in his gut; he knew without a doubt that this woman was behind Kristin's disappearance. "How do I know that what you say is true?"

Len made a gesture over her shoulder to an unseen person. _"Show him."_

The camera's view went momentarily black and then refocused, revealing an unmoving figure bound to a chair. Even in the dim lighting, there was no mistaking the flash of auburn hair and the familiar curve of her face and, for an instant, Nathan's heart stopped. "What the hell have you done to her?"

_"Nothing...yet."_ The camera's view had returned to Len. A cold smile formed. _"She's merely sleeping off a little chloroform."_

"Mr. O'Neill..."

"Trace initiating at fifty percent..." Tim was keying in one command after another so fast, his hands were nearly a blur. He ignored the first error message that appeared on his screen, and the second. It was immediately followed by a third error, stating that the back tracing of the signal had failed. Glaring at his monitor, he grumbled under his breath. "Restarting trace-this may take a few minutes."

_"Try all you want, Lieutenant O'Neill, but you're just wasting your time. You see, one of my people is a hacker who's just as good...probably better, than you or the Wolenczak brat."_ Len smirked at the dark looks she received in return. _"I'm sure you can connect the dots. And as for what I will require in order for the good doctor to return to you in one piece, I have yet to decide. It's not something that should be decided in haste, after all. __I'll be in touch."_ She gestured over her shoulder again and static enveloped her image for a brief moment before the "transmission terminated" message replaced it.

The bridge crew was left staring in silent disbelief at the now-blank screen. It was a trilling buzz from communications and Tim's frustrated growl that finally broke the silence.

Swearing under his breath, Tim yanked his headset off and rubbed his ear, glaring at the readout on his console. "The second trace fell through. I'm going to have to try a different method. Sorry, Captain."

Nathan didn't even hear the apology; he was still staring at the main screen, the image of Kristin slumped over in that chair burned into his mind. Despite the dimness, he hadn't missed the bruising on her face.

"Cap?"

Nathan blinked and turned to look at Crocker. Seeing the concern in his old friend's eyes was enough to shake him out of his shocked daze, though he still felt numb inside. He glanced in Jonathan's direction. "Get us back to Anchorage." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left the bridge.

"Helm, reverse course," Jonathan ordered automatically. He turned and watched the captain's retreating back until the closing clam doors blocked his view. The return trip would take almost eighteen hours, plus it was quite unlikely that her captors were even still in the Anchorage area; they would know that _seaQuest_ would return to port the moment they discovered one of their number missing. He could only hope that they would find the doctor sooner rather than later.

Nathan found himself pacing the ward room without even realizing he had returned there. He knew it would take until tomorrow, even at top speed, to reach Anchorage again. And from there, where? Wherever Len was keeping Kristin, it wouldn't be in the city because she would know that would be the first place they'd look. Until O'Neill could crack her hacker's code, there was no way to know in which direction to begin the search.

_This is my fault._ He didn't know why that thought suddenly came to mind, but he knew deep down it was the truth.

* * *

"...wake her up. She's been faking it long enough."

The unfamiliar feminine voice sounded miles away. Kristin struggled to open her eyes, fighting a fatigue she hadn't felt since her university days. As soon as she opened her eyes completely, she quickly closed them again because the blurring of her vision only exacerbated the dull, pounding ache in her temples. She tried to lift a hand to rub her eyes and realized that she couldn't.

A sudden blow made the dull ache bloom into a piercing agony. She bit back a moan and, this time, forced herself to open her eyes and combat the spinning she now recognized as a light dizziness spell. Blinking rapidly eventually brought the room into focus around her. The lighting was dim, but she could make out what looked like a bank of computers against the far wall. Some of the equipment looked almost ancient, which was further puzzling. What was this place? More importantly, _where_ was it?

She tried again to move her hands and, when she couldn't, discovered that she was bound to the chair she sat in. A shudder of fear crept down her spine. She searched her memory in hopes of recalling how she ended up here, but came up blank. The lack of recollection made her fear increase. She had to force herself to take a couple deep breaths and closed her eyes again, willing herself to remain calm. Panicking would only make things worse.

The tap-tap-tick sound of computer keys caught her attention. A man sat in front of the computer setup, but his back was to her and he was busily tapping away at his keyboard. She was about to get his attention and demand an explanation when another person stepped into her line of sight. Looking up, she found herself face to face with the dark-haired man she'd met in Katya's shop and recognizing him brought the memory back with vivid clarity.

"You..." She glared at his smirk. "What happened to the man who was having the heart attack? Have you taken him hostage too, or did you murder him?"

"I assure you, Doctor Westphalen, I'm unharmed." Kristin turned in the direction of the new voice, and found the younger man leaning casually against a nearby wall. "A mere bit of acting on my part to garner your attention and sympathy."

Ignoring him, she turned back to the first man. "Well, what is it you want?" she demanded. "Given your unethical methods thus far, I'm not inclined to believe your reasons are benign."

"Quite a mouthy little bitch, aren't you?" was the sneered response. He advanced on her, leaning in closer. "How about I teach you a little lesson in resp..." His threat was cut off when Kristin kicked him hard in the shin.

The man howled, leaping back and almost falling down. He kept his balance, but was half hunched over, holding the leg that had been kicked. "You're going to regret that!" A laugh cut off his tirade and he whipped around in the direction of it in a hobbled stumble. "What the hell are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"Your own stupidity, Walt." Kristin realized it was the same voice that she had first heard when coming to. Its owner was a brunette woman with her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were a light color and, when her gaze settled on Kristin, reflected pure malice.

A new, stronger fear wrapped Kristin in its hold. Meeting the other woman's stare was like being under the spell of a cobra ready to strike; being the first to look away could be a major mistake. She still had no idea what was going on, but instinctively knew that this woman was the one in charge of the situation she'd found herself in.

The brunette turned back to the man, Walt, with a smirk. "You're the one who didn't tie her feet."

"How was I supposed to know she'd try to break my leg?" Walt growled.

"That's your problem; you don't _think_. But I suggest you start using your brain a little more often. I will _not_ have my plans screwed up by your incompetence." Ignoring the glower she received in return, she turned back to Kristin. "Now, Doctor, to answer your question...you're here as leverage. Once I have what I require from Captain Bridger, I'll consider letting you return to _seaQuest_."

"And by 'consider', you mean not at all," Kristin replied skeptically.

The younger woman suddenly smiled; a cold, calculated smile. "You could be a little more gracious. At least you're still breathing."

_For now._ "I don't suppose you're going to introduce yourself."

"You may call me Len." She turned to Walt, who had straightened up and was glowering at Kristin. "You and Kamik take her below until I decide what to do with her. And keep your hands to yourself, Walt. Maybe next time you'll _think._"

Walt's grip on her arm was going to leave bruises, she knew. After untying her from the chair, he almost dragged both her and the younger man down the tunnel, pausing only long enough before a closed door to tap in a quick code on the access panel. The door slid silently open, revealing that the tunnel continued on a downward slope. It was much dimmer here than above, and Kristin could feel the damp chill in the air the moment they crossed the threshold. It felt like being on sea deck, except for the temperature. Catching a momentary glimpse of what appeared to be a layout map on the wall confirmed her suspicion that, wherever this place was, this part of the structure was quite likely built underwater.

After several steps, the corridor leveled off and, up ahead, branched off in three different directions. It was hard to see much of anything due to the low light levels; and trying to concentrate on any details only made her head ache more fiercely. They paused again and she heard a metallic creaking sound before they pushed her through another doorway. It took her a moment to realize that they had finally released their hold on her.

The door slammed shut behind her and she winced at the echoing throb in her skull. Closing her eyes helped, since it also shut out the light. Having her hands free helped even more and, reopening her eyes, she shielded them for a few minutes until they adjusted to the light levels. A look around the room made her recognize it for what it was: an old-fashioned isolation chamber, usually used for experiments requiring strict containment. Except for the cot against the far wall, it was completely empty, no doubt having been stripped before the facility was abandoned.

The floor shook beneath her and she gasped, startled, but the mild tremor was over as quickly as it had begun. Breathing a faint sigh of relief, Kristin gave herself a quick once-over. Nothing felt broken, though she suspected bruises were developing in a few different places. And, of course, there was the lingering headache. That was likely to disappear completely if she could manage to get any sleep. Crossing over to the cot, she settled down onto it and shivered. This end of the room felt colder and she contemplated getting up and moving the cot, but fatigue was beginning to settle in. At least she had dressed warmly when she'd left for shore leave; it would help keep the possibility of hypothermia at bay for the time being.

Laying down, she curled one arm under her head for support and closed her eyes with a sigh. Nathan and the crew had surely noticed her absence by now. She could only hope it wouldn't take them long to find her.

* * *

_"And she didn't tell you what she wanted?"_ On the other end of the vid link, Bill Noyce was watching Nathan pace the ward room and trying to absorb the shocking news.

"She said she 'had yet to decide'. Whatever _that_ means." Nathan raked a hand through his hair. "What it likely means is she's going to kill Kristin whether or not she gets what she wants."

_"Nathan, you know as well as I do that the UEO doesn't deal in hostage situations..."_

"Oh, don't give me that line! I'm _not_ going to just sit here, Bill; we have to find her!"

_"Do you know where to start looking?"_

"Besides Anchorage, no. Lieutenant O'Neill is still working on narrowing down the origin of the transmission," Nathan sighed. "He's been trying to crack their masking code for the past four hours with no luck. Every time he gets close, the trace terminates."

_"So she could be anywhere in Alaska,"_ the secretary general pointed out.

"At least. O'Neill has determined that, despite the masking code, the disbursement is occurring within a limited radius. The problem, of course, is narrowing it down to an exact location." Nathan rubbed his forehead, mentally cursing the headache that was beginning to manifest itself. "Once we get back to Anchorage, we'll begin the search there. But I'm concerned about word getting out...I'd prefer to keep this quiet for as long as possible."

_"Me, too. God forbid the press get wind of this."_ Noyce rolled his eyes at the thought.

"The other problem is most of my crew doesn't know the Anchorage area that well..."

_"I have the feeling I know what you're going to ask, and unfortunately, the answer is no."_

"You know I wouldn't make such a request if it wasn't an emergency. I could use assistance from the NCIS contingent at Elmendorf-Richardson, but I have the feeling Captain Tillman would turn me down."

_"You know he would, because he would have to,"_ Noyce pointed out.

Nathan pushed down his frustration and forced himself to count to five before responding. "You realize I'm working against the clock here. It's already been almost twenty-four hours; hell, it's probably past twenty-four hours by now."

_"Look, Nathan. I understand where you're coming from. And I know Doctor Westphalen is important to you and your crew, but I cannot authorize the use of extra personnel to look for one person."_

"Bill, I'm not asking for more personnel in the long-term. I'm only requesting their help for canvassing the city. Anything beyond that will be handled by Chief Crocker's people."

Noyce was silent for a long moment before he sighed. _"All right, I'll speak to Tillman. But, if he agrees, you better make damn sure you adhere to that limitation."_

"I will. And thank you, Bill."

_"You're welcome, Nathan. I hope you find her." _

They shared a look of understanding before Noyce ended the transmission. Nathan stared at the now-blank screen for a long moment before the quick footsteps approaching just outside the door and the loud double rap that followed reminded him that the hardest part was yet to come. "Come in."

The hatch swung inward and Lucas bounded through. "Hey, Captain. What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked, pushing the door shut again with a foot and flipping the catch without looking.

Nathan sighed inwardly. He was not looking forward to this conversation. "Have a seat, Lucas." He ignored the creaking protest of the chair as the teenager flopped into it and crossed one leg over the other. His mind was in too deep of turmoil. How was he to explain this? Kristin had become almost a mother figure to Lucas in his time onboard _seaQuest_; this could potentially devastate him, especially if they somehow failed to rescue her...

_No._ Nathan shut that train of thought down before it could gather speed. He could not allow himself to think of failure on that scale, or even entertain the thought of losing Kristin.

"Captain, whatever it is, you can tell me." When Nathan didn't respond, Lucas prompted, "I can see it in your eyes."

"I suppose it would be easier to explain if you saw for yourself." There was no going back now. He tapped the key to bring up the replay on the vid link and braced himself for Lucas' reaction.

Nathan watched Lucas' expression as he stared at the replay intently, a puzzled look on his face. His eyes widened when he realized exactly what the dark-haired woman was implying. When the image cut to Kristin's bruised, unconscious form, he went pale. The replay ended a moment later and the screen returned to the UEO trident, but Lucas continued to stare at it in blank shock for several moments.

"We...we have to get her out of there..." He finally turned to Nathan, eyes filled with a mix of fear and desperation.

"We will, Lucas." Nathan hoped he sounded as confident as he thought he did. "That is the other reason I called you here, to ask if you can help O'Neill break the hacker's codes. I don't know what this Len will say or show us when she contacts us again, so if at any point, you feel it would be too difficult to concentrate, I understand."

Lucas shook his head adamantly. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Captain, but I can handle it."

"All right. But if you change your mind, you let me know."

"I will." Lucas met Nathan's gaze again. "What if...what if we can't find her in time?"

Nathan put an arm around Lucas and, when the boy leaned in, finally wrapped him in a hug. "We _will_ find her, Lucas. I promise."


	7. 6 - Storm the Sorrow

**A/N: There is some physical violence in this chapter. It is not graphic or gory, but it may be triggering to some, so I am placing this warning here just in case.**

**Translation for the Portuguese used:  
amada - beloved**

* * *

**Chapter 6 ~ Storm the Sorrow**

_"Len...don't have much time...being pursued...that damn Bridger got...upper hand. Thought I was going to make it, but...getting shot at. They've already hit one of my engines...closing in on me. Never thought...end like this. Sorry that I can't...home, but I want you to know...best part of my life. I love you..."_

Len opened her eyes and sighed. She didn't even have to replay the message to her to hear it: every word, every crackle of interference was etched into her memory. That final burst of static that had lasted for an eternal moment before the connection had been severed was akin to a death knell.

Her nightmares had brought about more vivid imagery. She had tried everything but hardcore drugs to blot out their existence once she slipped into the realms of sleep. Nothing had worked. She could still picture Mari trying to plug leaks with her hands as more burst in, see her struggle for air as the unforgiving waters wrapped her in their suffocating embrace. Suffering would have been inescapable. Her beautiful lover had endured too much for one person in life; it was a cruel irony that she should have to die a horrible death.

And it was all Nathan Bridger's fault. But she would show him the true meaning of suffering, and she would do it by the exact same means he'd inflicted upon her.

"Walt."

"Yeah, boss?"

"Meet me below. And bring her with you."

* * *

"Miss Barrett." Chief Shan gestured Charli into the security office. "Please, have a seat."

Charli sat in the chair he indicated, one hand fiddling nervously with the end of her braid. "Do...do I have the right to know why I've been called in here?"

Shan raised an eyebrow at the question. "Of course you do," he replied as he sat down across from her. "I just need to ask you a few questions. You're not in any trouble." He watched her relax visibly and made a mental note of it. Keying in his passcode on the console, he began entering information while keeping his eyes on the young intern. "Did you leave the ship while we were docked in Anchorage?"

"Yes, for a few hours. I stayed down on sea deck until about 1100 because I had to let Darwin out to feed. I was working on my thesis outline. After he went out, I decided to take a break and go into the city for the afternoon."

"What did you do while you were in the city?"

"I have a friend who lives in the area. I sent her a quick communication and since she was available, we met for lunch. After lunch, I just walked around for a while."

"And what time did you return?"

"It was around 1700, I think? Maybe a little after."

"Do you recall if you spoke to anyone when you were returning?"

Charli nodded. "I ran into Alisha...Ensign Williams. She checked in right behind me and we left the docking bay together."

"Did you happen to see Doctor Westphalen in the docking bay?" Shan had shifted his gaze to the console screen, but was closely watching Charli out of the corner of his eye.

"No. The only person I saw that I knew was Ensign Williams."

"Did you see Doctor Westphalen at all yesterday?"

"Only in the morning. Since I originally did not plan to go topside, she asked me to let Darwin out to feed and to check his tail bandages when he returned. Then she left to go topside herself."

"And what time was that?"

"Around 0930, I believe."

She had started fiddling with her hair again. Shan thought to himself how the gesture would have been distracting to someone with less patience. He keyed in a save command on his console and nodded to Charli. "All right, Miss Barrett. I appreciate your time. I'll let you know if we have any further questions." He watched her leave, raising an eyebrow at how she seemed to hurry out. But was it uneasiness or something more?

* * *

Cynthia Westphalen's fingers were shaking as she keyed in the contact code she needed and waited for a response. She tried to take deep, calming breaths but her mounting anxiety prevented that usual calming technique. A blinking icon appeared on her screen, indicating that her transmission had connected and was on standby. After a tense five minute wait, Nathan Bridger's face appeared on her screen.

"Captain Bridger, I just got off the link with an Agent Brickey from the NCIS office in Anchorage. They're telling me Mom has been taken _hostage, _and refuse to tell me anything else."

She watched him close his eyes and sigh momentarily before he met her gaze again. _"What they're telling you is true. And unfortunately, there really isn't much else that I _can _tell you."_

"Captain, please. Don't brush me off. I've already gotten that treatment from the NCIS people." Realizing she sounded snappish, Cynthia forced herself to pause and take a couple deep breaths before continuing. "Why would anyone have a reason to kidnap Mom? I want to know and I have the right to know what the hell is going _on."_

_"I apologize if you think I'm withholding information from you, Cynthia. The simple fact is that, right now, we know very little. The person who has taken your mother has not even told us what it is she wants in order to ensure her release."_

"She?" Cynthia repeated in disbelief. "Another woman is the kidnapper?" When he nodded, she shook her head in frustration and disbelief. "I'm surprised that agent didn't question me further; does Mom have any enemies I know about, et cetera."

_"That will likely be what they ask you when they call again_," Nathan replied. _"Special Agent Moonin has already asked me all of those questions and more. Her team is also canvassing the city, while Chief Crocker and his people have been talking to the crewmembers who last saw or talked to your mother."_

Cynthia watched him rub a hand across his brow and was struck by the fact that the simple gesture suddenly made him seem ten years older. _"We're doing everything we can right now. I'm hoping that, with the help of the NCIS team, we can find her soon. I'm as worried about her as you are."_

_I can tell._ "I appreciate you filling me in, Captain. Even though it's not much, at least I have an idea of what's going on."

_"If and when I find out more, I'll let you know."_

After the transmission had ended, Cynthia buried her face in her hands with a shaky sigh. Warm hands settled on her shoulders and she instinctively leaned back into them. "How could this have happened?" It was a pointless question, but she voiced it nonetheless.

"The most important thing is that they will not stop until they find her." Malique began to massage her shoulders, instinctively finding the knot of tension at the base of her neck and working on it with his thumbs.

"What if...if they can't?"

"They will. Have faith."

"I do, Malique. I just...I'm scared for Mom." Her last words came out in a rush and she blinked frantically in a futile attempt to hold back tears.

"Whoever this woman is, she has made a grave mistake," Malique remarked. "Captain Bridger is a determined man. We both saw that when he helped us rescue the boys from the _favela_ months ago, and we were all technically strangers to him. But your mother, she is his _amada_. His resolve will be even stronger because of this."

"True." Cynthia sighed again and swiped a hand across her eyes. "I just hope...he can find her."

"He will, Cynthia_. _I know he will."

* * *

A hard kick in the hip jerked Kristin out of the fitful doze she'd fallen into. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up warily at Walt, who had his pistol pointed at her. He used it to gesture for her to stand up. She had barely gotten to her feet when she was immediately shoved against the wall; she winced when Walt grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her. The binding of her wrists didn't surprise her, but heading deeper into the undersea section of the labs did. She cast furtive glances around, trying to see landmarks through the dimness that she could use should the opportunity to escape present itself. There were several more closed doors, but most of the signing was either badly faded or removed entirely.

The corridor finally dead-ended in a large, circular chamber. It felt even colder than her cell, and Kristin surmised that it was built at the lowest depth. A light rumble under their feet caused Walt to curse and she paused, bracing herself in case the tremor decided to grow in intensity. But it faded almost instantly, leaving only a faraway sound she couldn't put her finger on. It sounded a little like water lightly sloshing and she found herself eyeing the ceiling and curves of the walls, looking for any structural weakening.

"I assure you, there are no leaks anywhere in this structure." Len's voice made her turn to see the other woman lounging across the room against what looked like a section of shelving. "I made sure of that before I chose this location."

"I hope you took into account all the seismic activity as well."

"I'm not stupid, Doctor. It would take a decent quake to cause any damage to this building, above or below the water line. The only thing affected by the seismic activity around here brought you to this room." Len snickered and rose lazily to her feet. Pacing in a wide circle, she stopped in front of Kristin. For a very long moment, blue eyes stared into sable-brown ones. Then Len grabbed Kristin's chin roughly, turning her head to look at her profile. Letting out a disgusted snort, she released her grip a moment later. "I can't imagine what the hell Bridger sees in you, but then there's no accounting for taste."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not in the mood for games, _Kristin._ The two of you may think your affair is a secret, but it's quite obvious to anyone with eyes. You could at least be honest and admit it."

How was it that this complete stranger could know anything about her feelings for Nathan? The thought chilled her a little, making her wonder what else this woman knew. But she forced herself to keep her expression calm. "You don't appear to be under the influence of any hallucinogenic substance." She watched the brunette's eyes narrow dangerously as she continued. "But regardless of whether you are or not, whatever is 'obvious to anyone with eyes' is completely lost on me."

Len glared at her for a long moment before suddenly smiling coldly. "Nice try. Two can play that game, however. I wonder what the UEO higher-ups would have to say about your fraternizing with the captain of their prized flagship."

"I'm technically a civilian scientist, so your wild conjecture doesn't fall under fraternization. Besides, are you telling me that two adults can't just be friends?"

Len smirked. "Of course, two adults can 'just be friends'. But don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that label applies to you and Bridger."

"One of the reporters who attended the UEO summit was quite generous with the information they provided." Kristin turned at the sound of Kamik's voice to see the young man stepping into the room. When Len glanced his way, he nodded to her. She returned the nod and then smirked again.

"Extremely generous, as a matter of fact. Not only was the Wolenczak brat all over Noyce's niece, but apparently you and Bridger disappeared for quite a while at one point." A hint of satisfaction flickered in Len's icy blue eyes at the slight paling of Kristin's face. "Did you really _think_ no one would notice? Sneaking off for a tryst with half the world watching? I thought you were smarter than that. But that was your first mistake. Unfortunately for you, you won't get the chance to repeat it."

Glancing over at Walt, Len flicked her hand. Kristin didn't have time to think about the gesture before Walt gave her a brutal shove. She stumbled back, trying and failing to throw herself forward in order to regain her balance. When one foot suddenly made contact with empty air, she couldn't suppress the scream that burst out. The sudden shock of hitting icy seawater was even more terrifying. For a long moment, she panicked, sinking further into the water. Without being able to use her arms, the panic worsened before her common sense rose up and reminded her she could still kick. Opening her eyes, she detected a faint glimmer above and kicked herself in that direction.

Breaking to the surface, she sucked in a deep breath and tried to shake her hair out of her eyes. It was all she got before she was shoved back underwater. True terror sank in as she tried to get her head above water and was pushed back down with every attempt. When she tried to move out of reach, the hand twined into her hair and held her under. Her chest tightened from the lack of oxygen and her head began to pound. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the grip on her hair was suddenly gone.

Kicking frantically, she burst to the surface, gasping and coughing while trying to get enough air in. Hands latched onto her arms, dragging her out of the water and onto her feet. But her trembling legs wouldn't hold her upright and she collapsed to her knees, shaking both from the cold and the effort to breathe.

Len's mocking laughter echoed through the chamber. "You look like the proverbial drowned rat. What a pretty picture this will make for your darling Nathan."

Walt and Kamik snickered for a long minute.

"Get her out of here. I'm through...for now."

She was jerked back to her feet. The first couple steps, she almost fell, but she eventually gained her footing. Walt kept the pistol barrel against her chin the whole way back to her cell. Not even when he pushed her inside and followed her in did he put it away. A new shiver of fear went down her spine, and it had nothing to do with the chill of her wet clothes. Would he kill her now? Or was the torture going to continue at his hands?

"Now, I think it's time I taught you that lesson in respect." Before Kristin could move, his fist slammed into her stomach. Gasping, she doubled over and then crumpled to the ground when her balance once more failed her. He kicked her in the hip and laughed when she yelped in pain.

"So you can dish it out, but you can't take it?" When he lifted his foot to kick her again, she managed to deliver a glancing kick of her own to his other foot. He swore and hopped back a few steps.

"I've about had enough of that out of you..." A slightly stronger seismic tremor rocked the floor and Walt stumbled, almost falling down himself. He started to advance on Kristin once more, and she braced herself, ready to kick him again if needed. Both were suddenly distracted by the sound of applause from the doorway and turned to see Kamik leaning against the closed door, clapping slowly.

"Nicely done, Walt. Very nice." He crossed the room to Kristin and she tensed, but he merely took her by the arm and helped her to her feet. "Now how about you untie her and see how you would measure up against her in an even fight?"

"I'm not that stupid."

"You mean you know you would lose."

Walt snorted contemptuously. "That's the problem with you kids. You don't know how to have a little fun."

Kamik smirked. "Not much fun beating on an opponent who cannot provide a challenge by fighting you back."

"You thinking to tell Len about this? She won't give a damn."

"I know," Kamik replied evenly. He was obviously unruffled by the older man's challenging tone. "Bridger killed her woman, and that is why we have taken his. But I still find her methods much more...shall we say, interesting to observe. Pure physical punishment is for amateurs. Len's little experiment is the kind that brings out all the emotional and psychological demons one keeps locked away, never to be acknowledged until they are forced to surface." His gaze slid to Kristin. "Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?"

Kristin glared at him, but remained silent. There was no way she was going to dignify that with an answer. Raising an eyebrow at her silent glower, he shrugged and looked back to Walt. "However, I do remember Len telling you to keep your hands to yourself."

Kristin watched the two men stare one another down. She didn't trust either of them and, despite the strong shivers that were distracting her, knew she couldn't afford to let down her guard. Walt's gaze was defiant, while Kamik's remained almost detached. Walt shifted his feet and, unconsciously, Kristin inched back a step. He caught the flicker of movement and his eyes slid to her, narrowing slightly. A moment later, his gaze returned to Kamik before he suddenly spun around and headed for the door. The metallic bang was punctuated by another brief quaking of the floor. Not prepared for it, Kristin stumbled and sat down hard, biting back another yelp of pain.

Kamik moved to her side, withdrawing a thin-bladed knife from his boot. She cringed away from him, but he merely shook his head in bemusement and, circling behind her, sliced through the rope binding her wrists. Glad to have her arms finally free, Kristin sighed in relief. She rubbed her wrists and eyed the young Aleut warily. He was casually tossing the knife in the air, catching it by the hilt each time. "It's probably pointless to ask you this, but what did you mean by saying that Nath...Captain Bridger...killed someone?"

"As I reminded Walt, that is why you are here."

Kristin shook her head in disbelief. "Then you must be mistaken. I know him; he would never do such a thing."

Kamik shrugged one shoulder and moved towards the door. "Then obviously, you do not know him as well as you think, Doctor."

"Who exactly is it that he is supposed to have killed?" Kristin demanded.

"I'm afraid that information is Len's to divulge, not mine." The door banged shut behind him.

Kristin sighed in exasperation and then shivered again. Reluctantly, she peeled off her drenched sweater. Being down to her t-shirt was both a blessing and a curse; despite the weight of it, the long sleeves had kept her skin protected from the chill in the air. It was pointless to lay the sweater out in hopes that it would dry, but she did it anyway. Sinking down onto the cot, she rubbed her bare arms, trying to ignore the shudders wracking her from head to toe. If she didn't find some way to warm herself, hypothermia would quickly set in. Although the cold was a distraction, her mind was still focused on Kamik's cryptic remarks.

_Bridger killed her woman..._ The turn of phrase seemed to imply murder. But the very idea was inconceivable. Nathan was a man of science; he valued life. The only times he had been responsible for taking lives had been during battle, and only then when circumstance deemed it necessary. She knew that those times onboard _seaQuest_ had been few and far between; there was the incident with Max Scully mere months ago, and the year before that, the attack and sabotage orchestrated by...

_Marilyn Stark._ Kristin remembered the momentary glimpse she'd gotten of _seaQuest's_ disgraced ex-captain: a ruthless blonde whose only goal was revenge, regardless of who else might be harmed in the process. She knew in that instant that Stark had to be Len's woman.

But that still did not explain the implication regarding Nathan. When the _seaQuest_ crew had rescued survivors from the downed enemy sub, they discovered that the mini-sub was missing, as were a dozen or so of the _Delta-4's_ crew, Stark included. Everyone had therefore assumed that she had safely escaped. Obviously, that was not the case.

Which left only one question: if Stark was indeed dead, why did Len assume Nathan was responsible?

* * *

"Thank you, Ensign. If I need any more information, I'll let you know." Crocker said to Alisha Williams as she got to her feet.

"Happy to help, sir," Alisha replied and departed the security office, nodding to Chief Shan as he waited for her to exit before entering.

"You got the statement from the Barrett girl?"

"Yes, Chief. It's been uploaded to the database."

"All right." Crocker glanced over the information on the screen. "Crenshaw talked to Phillips and he didn't see the doc at all. He checked in and went straight to his quarters." Closing the file, he found Shan's interview with Charli and opened the new file. He gave it a quick read, then frowned and reread slowly. "Now that's odd."

"What is?" Shan asked curiously.

"Well, Williams mentioned that Barrett had a bit of trouble with the scanner. Something about grabbing her school ID by mistake. But doesn't look like she told you that."

"No, she did not." Shan leaned over Crocker's shoulder as the security chief brought up Alisha's statement next to Charli's; he slowly scrolled through them both so Shan could read them side by side. "It is also interesting that she mentioned Miss Barrett being jumpy. As you can see by my notes, she seemed rather apprehensive. Her first words to me were to ask if she had a right to know why she was being questioned."

Crocker's frown graduated to a scowl. "Rather odd thing to be askin' if you're innocent."

"I thought so, too..." The chirp of the audio link interrupted Shan and he tapped the on key. "This is Shan."

_"Chief Crocker has an incoming transmission from the NCIS office at Elmendorf-Richardson."_

"Patch it through, please," Crocker ordered, quickly closing the interview files.

A thin-faced, dark-haired young man's image soon appeared on the screen. _"Chief Crocker? I'm Special Agent Matt Sovalik. I'm sending a transmission over to you now, containing the information from our initial canvass. Our team gathered quite a few helpful witness statements, but you might want to look at the ones I have flagged first. There's also some security camera footage from one of the shops that shows Doctor Westphalen speaking to a man who we feel is a person of interest."_

"Have you talked to this guy yet?" Crocker asked.

_"We have not yet identified him. When we do, we will begin searching for him."_

"Understood." After Sovalik had signed off, Crocker waited for the transmitted files to finish loading before opening the witness statements and going immediately to the ones marked as top priority. Shan continued to read over Crocker's shoulder and both officers were silent for several long minutes before Crocker spoke again. "Looks like this Native girl was one of the last people to talk to the doc. Sovalik's note says that the security footage is from the cameras in her shop."

Ignoring the rest of the flagged witness statements, Crocker closed the interviews file and opened up the file containing the security footage. The camera's angle appeared to be alongside the counter, pointing towards the shop's front window. Kristin and Katya were visible in the foreground, the latter behind the counter. The two women were talking animatedly while Katya was working the register and boxing up a small item after wrapping it in paper.

"That must be the man Agent Sovalik mentioned." Shan indicated a dark-haired man who had stepped into the shop. His expression was one of agitation, but when Shan followed his gaze, it was obvious who he was looking at.

"I don't like the way he's lookin' at the doc," Crocker muttered as the man approached Kristin, and after a short conversation, led the way out of the shop with her on his heels. They headed to the left and disappeared off camera a minute later. Grumbling to himself, the security chief brought up the file list to see if there was any additional footage, sighing when he found none. "Looks like that's the only camera there was. Pity there wasn't one outside the..."

"Wait a minute. Bring that back up and rewind it," Shan interrupted.

The playback had ended, so Crocker restarted it. "You see somethin', Shan?"

"I might have. Can you start it from the moment the doctor leaves the shop?" Crocker tapped in the necessary commands. "Stop. Rewind about ten seconds. There." Shan pointed at the upper left hand side of the screen.

Knowing what Shan wanted without asking, Crocker punched in another command and zoomed in on the frozen frame. They had to wait a few moments for the pixilation to clear; when it did, Crocker's eyes widened, then narrowed in surprise. "Is that..."

"I believe it is, sir." Shan's tone was grim.


End file.
